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Professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan (1965-1997); chairman of Department of Anthropology (1975-1980); president of American Anthropological Association (1987-1989). Papers include biographical files, correspondence, writings, speeches, lectures, course materials, and files pertaining to various academic programs and environmental projects for which he served as a consultant.

The Roy A. Rappaport papers provide a glimpse into the active life of an internationally renown and intellectually rigorous anthropologist. Organized into seven series, Biographical Files, Correspondence, Writings, Speeches and Lectures, Classes and Teaching, Consulting, and Topical Files, the papers span the years 1959 to 1997. The strength of the collection is in its documentation of Rappaport's professional and teaching activities. Rappaport's interests in environmental issues, religion, and the application of his knowledge and interests to societal issues are also evident in this collection. The researcher should note that certain aspects of Rappaport's professional career (such as his field work in New Guinea and his time as president of the American Anthropological Association) have a very limited coverage within the collection, in part because field notes and material related to the American Anthropological Association were given to other institutions. Rappaport's field notes are located at the University of California San Diego and his correspondence relating to the American Anthropological Association is at the Smithsonian.